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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. band — a music group
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com